The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-10-15
Wur Youmg Peop1e.
A QUAINT OLD STORY.

the customs were quite different in many
ways from what they are now.
Lois lived on farm in New England.
She was the youngest child in the family
and used to wind the quilts in the loom
room for her mother. The quilts were
pieces OF small reeds on which her
mother wound the yarn which formed
the weof of whatever kind OF cloth she
was weaving. Sometimes it "was full
closh," for the men and boys clothes,
and other times it was flannel for blan-
kets, or linsey woolsey for the girls win
ter dresses. The mother and the elder
sisters made all the clothing themselves;
they spun the wool on a large wheel.
and the fax on small wheel and they
each had their specified number OF yards
of linen and wooden to weave every sea-
son.
One day, in the fall OF the year, the
m other was in great hurry, to get
piece of cloth out of the loom before
night, to make pelisse or cloak for
Lois that week. AS fast as the yarn was
woven off from the quilts, Lois wound
more on. While they we're in the midst
of their work, Lois looked out of the
window and saw the parson Clergyman
we would call him now and three dea-
cons, all on horseback, coming toward the
house The title girls face grew pale in
an instant as she exclaimed, 'Here comes
Parson Brown and the three deacops!"
80 dear me- the mother replied, "snd
Mrs. Brown is coming tool"
Yes, the parsons wife was riding be-
hind her husband on cushion which
they called pillion in those days. That
was the way they went visiting oftentimes
for carriages were not as common as
they are now. The looms shuttle was
fastened, and Mrs. Chidsey got on an
other cap (all the mothers wore caps
them, and put on a clean apron, and
called to her eldest daughter Philura to
hang the tea kettle on the crane over the
fire.
Lois knew very we'll what Parson
Brown and the deacons we're coming for
It was the custom at that time for the
children of the parish to be catechised
once in so often. The little girl had
thought SO much about her new pelisse
and Sunday linsey woolsey dress that
the catechism had been lying unopened
on the three.legged round stand by her
bed. Not to know her questions was
hardly to be thought of, 80 che got the
little book and came down the back stairs
and went into the barn and climbed up on
the hay NOW, hiding herself in the hay in
the farther corner. She heard the boys
called in from the orchard where they
were picking up apples, and her father
left the piece he was ploughing for rye,
and all went into the house and put on
their Sunday best, because the parson
and his wife and the deacons had come.
Lois knew very we'll search would
soon be made for her, and she was not
surprised to hear her brother Simeon
calling, "Lois Lois Chidseyl The parson
and the deacons are here 70 catechise."
Mrs. Chidsey and the two elder daugh-
tiers went into the sitting room to talk to
the parsons wife while the blinds were
opened in the "best room," as the parlor
was called then, and the fire lighted in
the great fireplace. The boys and Kez-
iah, the sister next older than Lois, sat
down in the straight backed chairs to be
catechised. They kept looking at the
door to see Lois come in, but she didn't
make her appearance.
The clergyman OF a church (meeting-
houses they called them then) knew every
child in each household. OF course inqui-
ry was made for Lois, and when the mother
found out the child had absented herself
SO long she began to think that the cate
chism had been neglected, and the little
girl had gone to neighbors to get out of
sight and hearing. When grandmother
told us the story, she said she was certain
her good mother understood her feelings
and made the matter Of her absence as
light as she could She told the minis
ter that "Lois must have stepped out"
which was perfectly true, but she had
not only stepped ont" but also climbed
up as high as she could get, away from
"Ssnctifcation, Justification and Adop-
tion." The tea was stepped, the apple
sauce and doughnuts, with the newly-cut
cheese were put on the table, and the WIS.,
itors all sat down to supper.
1t was necessary to return home be-
fore "candle-light" ss they called it..
Everybody used tallow candles then, and
when they had meetings in the red
school-house at the foot of the hill near
Mr.. Chidsey's, every member of the FAM
lily carried candle in a csndlestick, and
put it on the long desk. When the
candles were nearly all burned out, the
parson closed the meeting.
1t was quite cool in the fall, and Lois
felt chilled in the old barn when the wind
came through the large cracks, SO she
covered herself up in the hay, and by
and by sue fell asleep. As soon as the
visitors had finished their supper they
rode away, and the parson said Il will
eatechise Lois another time"
"Lois must have gone over to see
Aunt Temperance" her mother said, as
Mr. Chidsey expressed great surprise at